“There was only one place where he wanted to shine”: Justine Henin defends ‘phenomenal’ Novak Djokovic and his ‘successful season’

Justine Henin acknowledged the challenges Novak Djokovic faced in 2024 but praised his impressive results despite a season filled with ups and downs. The Serbian player didn't secure any ATP titles but achieved his main goal by winning the long-awaited Olympic gold medal in his fifth Olympic Games.

The 37-year-old Djokovic had a flawless 2023, with three Grand Slam titles and an ATP Finals victory, making him the favorite for another glorious year. However, his expectations fell short as he was overshadowed by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who shared the four Grand Slam titles throughout the year.

Djokovic managed to finish the season at world No. 7 with only a few tournaments played and missing the ATP Finals. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open (defeated by Sinner), the quarterfinals at the French Open (withdrew), the final at Wimbledon (defeated by Alcaraz), and the third round at the US Open (defeated by Popyrin).

Injured midway through the season at Roland Garros, Djokovic underwent surgery and made a miraculous recovery to return at Wimbledon just three weeks later. Despite lingering physical doubts, he managed to make it to the final. His biggest reward came two weeks later when he won the Olympic Games final, avenging his loss to Alcaraz, who had defeated him at Wimbledon just weeks earlier.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin described Djokovic's Paris 2024 victory as "phenomenal," which had been his primary goal of the season: "Of course his season was successful. He went and got the title he wanted, that was his ultimate goal," she said on Eurosport. "He went through a lot of phases this season, including certainly a phase of demotivation and then things to manage on a physical level too – but there was only one place where he wanted to shine."

"And the way he did it, I still can’t believe it. This ability, when he didn’t have a great season, when everyone was doubting him, to raise his level of play as he did and manage to be present again in a big event, it’s just phenomenal," added the former world No. 1 from Belgium.

Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Finals citing physical issues, and his return is expected for 2025 at the Australian Open. He has yet to confirm participation in any tournaments prior to that, so his likely return will be directly in Melbourne in mid-January.